When I was in high school, I tried my best to hide my CF from my friends. When this put my health at risk, I knew I had to find friends who would accept me and to become a better advocate for myself.
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The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) project contains WGS data from over 5,000 people with cystic fibrosis in the United States that is linked with data from the CF Foundation Patient Registry.
When I scroll through my social media accounts, it’s hard not to compare myself to other people and feel like I could have accomplished so much more had it not been for my cystic fibrosis. Instead of getting depressed, I now rely on therapy, positive affirmations, and being kind to myself to preserve my mental health
My parents made sure that I enjoyed my childhood despite my health struggles with cystic fibrosis. They focused on making sacrifices and hard decisions, such as relocating to be near my clinic, and never letting me brood over my prognosis.
Having cystic fibrosis has been a double-edged sword. CF has caused suffering, but it also has given me the perspective to embrace my life.
This award is part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Physician Scientist Training Program and is designed to introduce residents to cystic fibrosis research with the goal to develop and maintain interest in a career in CF research or as a CF care provider.
This award program is intended to fund training for physicians interested in developing expertise in the endocrinologic care of patients with cystic fibrosis.
I had never heard of cystic fibrosis until I received my diagnosis — but learning how to navigate my CF prepared me to advocate for my husband’s medical care and helped me grow as an artist.
Throughout my life with cystic fibrosis, I never thought about the prospect that I would outlive my loved ones. Now that I have attended some of their funerals, the thought of my own mortality has caught up with me.
Dance was my life, but I had to give it up when my health was in decline. I then found a new way to express my creativity through poetry.